Freedom Struggle In Kerala

The first signs of freedom struggle surfaced after First World War. In 1922 the students protested against the fee hike in educational institutions. This soon became a rallying point for pro-home rule agitation.

Khilafat Movement brought out the issue more forcefully. Hindus and Muslims stood as one against the British and the Landlords in the Malabar region.

Severe police action and Martial law followed. The British gained complete supremacy by ruthless deployment of police, notably the Malabar Special Police, which to this day is a feared symbol of colonial oppression.

The Independence movement at the National level had a direct bearing on Kerala's political landscape too. The Salt Satyagraha found its echo here. T

he Vaikom temple entry Satyagraha for permitting lower castes entry into the temple gained the recognition as a direct challenge to the existing political and hierarchical supremacy of the rulers and by extension the British rule.

But soon there were more organisations formed to fight for their rights. The Samyukata Rashtriya Congress consisting of an alliance of  Christian's -Muslims - Ezhavas (a powerful community of Kerala) formed an alliance to seek reservations in Government. This is the first time community based party system came into Kerala's landscape.

The Thiruvithamkur State Congress was founded by Pattom Thanu Pillai to fight against the high handedness of the last Dewan of Thiruvithamkur, Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyengar (popularly known as Sir CP).

The movement started in 1938 and led to widespread violence all over the state. The Congress was outlawed.

After Independence, on 01 Jul 1949, a new state "Thirukochi" was formed consisting of old princely states of Thiruvithamkur and Kochi, moves towards reunification of Malayalam speaking population.

The Malayalam-speaking regions of Malabar and Thirukochi were joined together as one state on 01 November 1956 and christened KERALA.